Rudbeckia plant named ‘RUDBK166’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Rudbeckia  plant named ‘RUDBK166’, characterized by its vigorous growth habit, its very floriferous blooming habit, its upright-mounded plant habit, and its inflorescences with ray florets that are yellow-orange in color and greyed-orange at the bases.

Botanical classification: Rudbeckia hirta.

Variety denomination: ‘RUDBK166’.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to European Community Plant VarietyOffice (CPVO) Plant Breeder's Rights Application No. 2019/3525 filed onDec. 31, 2019, under 35 U.S.C. 119(f), the entire contents of which isincorporated by reference herein and is related to a co-pending U.S.Plant Patent Application filed for a plant derived from the samebreeding program that is entitled Rudbeckia Plant Named ‘RUDBR159’ (U.S.Plant patent application Ser. No. 16/873,139).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofRudbeckia hirta and will hereafter by referred to by its cultivar name,‘RUDBK166’. The new cultivar is an herbaceous perennial grown for use asa landscape plant.

‘RUDBK166’ was derived from a breeding program conducted by the Inventorat a nursery in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands. The objective of thebreeding program was to select new cultivars of Rudbeckia withfloriferous blooming habits and compact plant habits.

‘RUDBK166’ was selected in July of 2018 by the Inventor from amongstseedlings in a trial field that had been planted with seed derived fromopen pollination of numerous unpatented and unnamed proprietary plantsfrom the Inventor's breeding program in July of 2017. The exactparentage is therefore unknown.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished under thedirection of the Inventor by tissue culture using meristematic tissue inHeerhugowaard, The Netherlands in March of 2019. Asexual propagation bytissue culture has determined that the characteristics of the newcultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR

The Applicant asserts that no publications or advertisements relating tosales, offers for sale, or public distribution occurred more than oneyear prior to the effective filing date of this application. Anyinformation about the claimed plant would have been obtained from adirect or indirect disclosure from the Inventor. The Applicant claims aprior art exemption under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/orsales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to theeffective filing date. Disclosure may include but may not be limited toa website listing by AB-Cultivars (a company owned by the Inventor).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘RUDBK166’ as a unique cultivar of Rudbeckia.

-   -   1. ‘RUDBK166’ exhibits a vigorous growth habit.    -   2. ‘RUDBK166’ exhibits a very floriferous blooming habit.    -   3. ‘RUDBK166’ exhibits an upright-mounded plant habit.    -   4. ‘RUDBK166’ exhibits inflorescences with ray florets that are        yellow-orange in color and greyed-orange at the bases.

‘RUDBK166’ can be compared to the Rudbeckia cultivars ‘RUDBR159’ and‘Giggling SmileyZ’ (not patented). ‘RUDBR159’ is similar to ‘RUDBK166’in having strong stems and in foliage color. ‘RUDBR159’ differs from‘RUDBK166’ in having a taller and more narrow plant habit, disk floretsthat are larger in size and inflorescences with ray florets that aredarker grey-orange to grey-red in color at the base. ‘Giggling SmileyZ’is similar to ‘RUDBK166’ in plant height and in foliage color. ‘GigglingSmileyZ’ differs from ‘RUDBK166’ in having weaker stems andinflorescences with ray florets that are blackish grey-orange togrey-red in color at the bases.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Rudbeckia. The photographs weretaken of a 6-month-old plant of ‘RUDBK166’ as grown outdoors in a 17-cmcontainer in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands.

The photograph in FIG. 1 is a side view of ‘RUDBK166’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of an inflorescencesof ‘RUDBK166’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of the foliage of‘RUDBK166’.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with thephotographic and printing technology utilized and the color values citedin the detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors ofthe new Rudbeckia.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of 6-month-old plants of‘RUDBK166’ as grown outdoors in 17-cm containers in Zuidwolde, TheNetherlands. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variationsin environmental, climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not beentested under all possible environmental conditions. The colordetermination is in accordance with The 2015 Colour Chart of The RoyalHorticultural Society, London, England, except where general color termsof ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Average of 13 weeks from early summer to            late summer in The Netherlands.        -   Plant type.—Perennial.        -   Plant habit.—Upright, compact.        -   Plant shape.—Obovate.        -   Height and spread.—Average of 65 cm in height from soil            level to top of foliar plane and 74.4 cm in height from soil            level to top of floral plane, 71 cm in diameter.        -   Hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 10.        -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility and resistance to            diseases or pests has been observed.        -   Root description.—Fine and fibrous.        -   Propagation.—Tissue culture.        -   Root development.—An average of 3 weeks for root initiation            with a young rooted plant produced in an average of 6 weeks.        -   Growth rate and vigor.—Vigorous.-   Stem description:    -   -   Stem shape.—Moderately angled.        -   Stem color.—Young stems; 144A to 144B, mature stems; 145A to            145B, 144A to 144B at the angles.        -   Stem size.—An average of 8 mm in diameter and an average of            26 cm in height.        -   Stem surface.—Moderately glossy and densely covered with            strigose hairs an average of 2 mm in length and close to            NN155D in color.        -   Stem number.—Average of 14 main stems, 5 lateral branches            per main stem.        -   Internode length.—An average of 5.8 cm in length.        -   Stem aspect.—Average of 30° to vertical.        -   Branching.—Freely branching from base with lateral stems.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Obovate to narrowly obovate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Long cuneate in lower leaves to short cuneate or            truncate in upper leaves.        -   Leaf apex.—Bluntly acute to narrowly obtuse.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, color upper surface 148D, color            lower surface 144A.        -   Leaf margins.—Un-deeply coarsely serrate, moderately            undulate.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Leaf size.—Average of 20.3 cm in length and 7.1 cm in width.        -   Leaf color.—Young upper surface; 137B, young lower surface;            138A and 138B, mature upper surface; 137A, mature lower            surface; 138A and 147B.        -   Leaf surface.—Both surfaces very slightly glossy, rough to            touch, lower surface is matte, slightly rugose, rough to            touch, both surfaces densely pubescent with short strigose            hairs; an average of 1.5 mm in length and 156D in color.-   Flower description:    -   -   Type.—Terminal capitulum, consisting of ray florets and disk            florets.        -   Capitulum number.—1 per stem, up to 90 per plant.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—Average of 2 weeks,            persistent.        -   Capitulum size.—Matures to about 4.9 cm in height and 11.3            cm in diameter, disk size is an average of 2.9 cm in            diameter.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Involucral bracts (phyllaries).—Cuneate base, acute apex,            oblanceolate to narrow oblong in shape, entire margins,            average of 32 arranged in two rows, 3.6 cm in length and 9            mm in width, color; upper surface when fully open 137A,            lower surface when fully open 138A, both surfaces and            margins matte and densely covered with strigose hairs; an            average of 1 mm in length and NN155D in color.        -   Receptacle.—Broad ovate in shape, an average of 1.3 cm in            height and diameter, 157B in color.        -   Buds.—Globular in shape, immature ray florets pointed upward            and curling inward, up to 2.7 cm in length and 5 cm in            diameter, color; immature ray florets 153D, upper side of            immature involucral bracts 137D, under side 138B, involucral            bracts densely covered with strigose hairs; average length 2            mm, NN155D in color, immature ray floret surface densely            covered with strigose hairs; average length 1 mm, 160D in            color.        -   Peduncle.—Strong, straight on top of main flowering stem,            average of 19.2 cm in length and 4.5 mm in diameter, color;            144A to 144B, surface moderately glossy sand densely covered            with short strigose hairs; an average of 2 mm in length and            NN155D in color.        -   Ray florets.—Average of 18 (varying between 17 and 20),            rotate around the disk, oblong in shape, average of 4.9 cm            in length and 2 cm in width, emarginate apex, cuneate base,            entire margin, both surfaces are velvety, matte and            glabrous, lower surface moderately covered with very short            adpressed strigose hairs, average of 7 mm in length and 160D            in color, held near horizontal, color; when opening upper            surface; lower half 175B, upper half 17B, when opening lower            surface; 13B, lower half tinged 195B, when fully open upper            and lower surface and veins; lower ⅗th 178A, upper ⅖th 17A,            when fully open lower surface; 13B, changing to 146D at the            base.        -   Disk flowers.—Average of 800, tubular, 22 whorls arranged            spirally on a conical receptacle, lower 90% fused into tube,            upper 10% free, about 8 mm in length and 4 mm in width, free            lobes have entire margins and are curled backwards, both            surfaces glabrous and moderately glossy, color; when opening            upper and lower surface; 200B, mid-section 200B, tinged            N186C, base 155A, when fully open upper and lower surface;            top; between 200A and 203A, mid-section; in between N186C            and 200B, base; 155A, spines; none, bracts, 1 per disk            floret, soft, flattened, an average of 7 mm in length and 1            mm in diameter, oblanceolate in shape, acute apex, narrow            cuneate base, color apex; 178A, mid-section; 145B, margins            178A, base 157A.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—Pistil; 1, 6 mm in length, style; 5 mm in length,            color; 200A, mid-section 187A, base 155C, stigma; cleft,            decurrent, 4 mm in diameter, 200A in color, ovary; NN155A in            color.        -   Androecium.—Stamens; 5, filaments; 3 mm in length, 157A in            color, anther; narrow oblong in shape, 2 mm in length, 0.5            mm in width, 200A in color, pollen; moderate in quantity and            15A in color.        -   Fruit/seed.—None observed to date.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Rudbeckia plant named‘RUDBK166’ substantially as herein illustrated and described.